New equipment at Dunedin Hospital is benefiting radiology and oncology patients.

The Southern District Health Board has two new CT scanners, which have replaced old machines at the hospital.

The new scanners emit less radiation and produce better images than the previous machines, which are almost ten years old.

The new equipment is also larger and more comfortable for patients, and allows scans to be completed faster.

That in turn improves accuracy, because patients have less time to move around while being scanned.

The replacement of each scanner took eight weeks, as it involved modifications to a cooling system and staff training.

The health board hasn't publicly disclosed the cost of the new equipment.